I just started playing WoA with my son to introduce him to the joys of D&D without all the complexity. I played AD&D during my high school and college years, but that was many years ago.

My recollection is that when a monster "appeared" adjacent or nearby to the heroes, it would immediately attack the party on its turn. I don't get the whole "who controls the monster" aspect, and reading the rules, it would seem that monsters don't attack until they are "in play". Does this mean they sit there until we attack them? This would imply we could just "sneak" around them if we are low on hp or if we simply don't wish to be bothered.

I assume that I am severely misinterpreting the rules as this behavior would be very unrealistic. A monster would hear and smell the party coming and spring into action when in range.

It is all about the turn order. On your exploration phase ( and sometimes on the hero phase ) you will draw a new tile or a card that calls for a new monster to be placed. You do this. The next step of your turn is the Villian phase. On this turn the monsterss do their thing. So the monster you just placed (and any other controled by this player, more on this in a sec) will activate and you follow the triage on the card. They will either attack if they are close enough to do so or you will move them. Monsters always get the first initiation in this game.

As to who controls the monster:

When it is your turn and you are working through the phases of your turn any monster or trap card you draw will be yours to control. ON YOUR TURN ONLY you will activate these on the Villian phase and only the monsters and traps you are in control of and no others (one exception is if there are other monsters of the same type as the one you are controlling then you activate all of them based on the card text).

The confusion here can be that you activate all monsters on your villian phase. Not true, you only activate the monsters (and traps) that you control.

So if on your turn you were on an unexplored edge and placed a tile on your exploration phase you would also draw a monster card and place it on the tile on the spot where the mosters goes. The next phase for you is the Villian phase and on this phase you will activate this monster based on it's card that you have in front of you indicating that you "control" this monster. After the Villian phase resolves it is your sons turn. He goes through his turn (hero phase, exploration phase, villian phase). On his villian phase he will activate any monsters or traps he controls THIS WILL NOT INCLUDE THE MONSTER YOU JUST PLACED BECAUSE YOU CONTROL IT. You son only activates the ones that he drew on his turns that are still in play.

The game can be tough, don't let it deter you. I use a home rule to make it a little more realistic to allow resting. the rule is: " if a character doesn't move off the tile he started the turn on and did not attack and isn't on an unexplored edge you don't have to draw an encounter card". This allows you to heal which can be hard to do under the normal rules because you always have to draw an encounter card even if you go no where.

So monsters dont attack all members of the party, only the one who "drew" him? Can all party members attack any monster?

Also, regarding healing - in AD&D, party members could choose to sleep (if the dice were in a good mood) and regain hp - I didn't see this provisions in the rules, but your resting rule seems to imply it?Thanks for the clarification!

You're still a little off. the moster is CONTROLLED by whomever placed them and only activated on the turn of the player that placed them. Then the monster DOES whatever the card text says to do on their villian phase. They can attack anyone, usually the "closest hero" and that isn't always the player controlling the monster. Look at a monster card and I think you will understand the triage.

This is a board game not full D&D so the cards are essentially the DM. There is no resting per se. That's why I house ruled it. In the game you are healed by treasure cards and the Clerics, that is all. Even under my "house" rule you need a Cleric to do the healing. Again there is no resting for HP at all.

The game is tough like I said don't get discouraged. I succeed only about 25% of the time and that usually means I am running four or more heroes. Less than four heroes and your chance of success goes down.

I think the most important point for you is that the cards are the DM and the players TURNS are very structured. Just do everything in the order that you should and it will be ok.